An Incorrect Appraisal (Luchon Maklakov)[2]

Written:Written at the beginning of June 1913Published:First published in 1937 inLenin Miscellany XXX.

      Signed:W..

      Published according to the manuscript.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Progress Publishers,1977,

      Moscow,Volume 19,

      pages132-134.Translated:The Late George HannaTranscription\Markup:R. CymbalaPublic Domain:Lenin Internet Archive

      (2004).You may freely copy, distribute,
	display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and
	commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
	Archive” as your source.•README

...programmesand resolutions of the
			      liberals.[1]

IntheLuch(No.  122) editorial we come across a profoundly
incorrect appraisal of this important speech. “Cadet doctrinairism” is
whatLuchsaw in it. Deputy Maklakov is likened to an animal that
brushes out its tracks with its tail. “The numerous parentheses in his
speech completely destroyed its oppositional character”—andLuchquotes the words of Mr. V. Maklakov to the effect that
“reaction is an historical law”, that one should (according to Bismarck’s
theory) be able to distinguish moments when it is necessary to rule in
liberal fashion and moments when despotic rule is essential.

“Suchspeeches could be made by a professor,” concludesLuch, “but not by a politician upholding the right of democracy
to self-determination” [?].

No,Mr. V. Maklakov is by no means a doctrinaire and his speech is not
that of a professor. And it is nothing less than ridiculous to expect
V. Maklakov to uphold the rights of democracy. He is a liberal-bourgeois
businessman who has fearlessly exposed the very “guts” of the policy of
his class. Mr. V. Maklakov made the accusation that the government “could
have comprehended [when the revolution had died down Ihow to
stampoutthe revolution entirely” but failed to comprehend.

“Whena government fights against a revolution it is right, that is
its duty,” exclaimed Mr. V. Maklakov, and added, “the same will be true
of the revolutions when it is victorious, it will fight against
counter-revolution” (here this“experienced” orator made an amusing slip, using, for some unknown
reason, only the future tense.) Mr. V. Maklakov repeated several times that
he blamed the government “not for fighting disorder and revolution, but
for fighting against law and order itself”.

Mr.V. Maklakov compared Stolypin to a fireman who breaks the windows
of a burning house.

Fromthis it can be seen that the predominant tone and substance of
this noteworthy speech are not a professorial stunt or doctrinairism but
whole-hearted, persistent counter-revolution. It is all the more important
to deal at length with this since the newspaper hubbub over petty details
of the “conflict” so zealously hides the substance of it. The policy of
liberalism and its class roots cannot beunderstoodunless this,
its typical and fundamental feature, is mastered.

Luchdisplays an amazing and amusing lack of understanding of
this matter when it exclaims: “Is it not the worst form of doctrinairism
to worship the statesmanship of Bismarck who, whatever is said about him,
always remained a man of blood and iron?”

Whathas this to do with doctrinairism, gentlemen? You are right off
the mark. V. Maklakov said as clearly as it could be said that he approves
“fighting disorder and revolution”, approves of “the fireman”, and, it
goes without saying, V. Maklakov knows very well what that means—blood
and iron. V. Maklakov said as clearly as it could be said thatthiswas the very policy he favoured—provided it succeeded! You
have to break windows, he preaches, don’t be afraid of breaking windows, we
are not sentimental people, we are not professors, not doctrinaires, but
when you break windows, do it as Bismarck did, i.e., successfully,strengtheningthe alliance of the bourgeoisie and the landowners.

Andyou, says V. Maklakov to the government, you break Windowsfor
no reason, like a street lout, not like a fireman.

Bismarckrepresented the counter-revolutionary landowners of
Germany. He realised he could save them (for a few decades)onlyby a sound alliance with the counter-revolutionary liberal bourgeoisie. He
succeeded in forming this alliance because the resistance of the
proletariat was weak and lucky wars helped solve thecurrentproblem—that of the national unification of Germany.

Wehave our counter-revolutionary landowners. And we have our
counter-revolutionary liberal bourgeoisie. V. Maklakov is their foremost
representative. He showed by his speech that he is prepared to do any
amount of bowing and scraping before Purishkevich & Co. This, however,
is not enough for the “marriage” to be a success. The current historical
task must be fulfilled, and ours is not national unification (of which we
have more than enough...) butthe agrarian problem... at a time
when the resistance of the proletariat is stronger.

Aboutthis, the pitiful liberal, V. Maklakov, who pines for a Russian
Bismarck, was unable to say a single articulate word.

[1]Thefirst page of the manuscript has not been found.—Ed.

[2]Until1954 this article was known under the beading given by the
editors “Apropos of Cadet Maklakov’s Speech”. In 1954 the Institute of
Marxism-Leninism of the C.C., C.P.S.U. received a number of documents from
the Cracow-Poronin Lenin archive, among them Lenin’s list of articles
written forPravda, from which it was established that Lenin had
entitled this article “An Incorrect Appraisal (Luchon
Maklakov)”.